Wiring Done Right

Electrical Wiring and Safety

Fan / Light Combination Switch Wiring

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RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS, NOR IS ANY LIABILITY ASSUMED FROM THE
USE OF THE INFORMATION, CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, BY THE AUTHOR and / OR
PROVIDER.

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These wiring options are suitable for both paddle fans
/ light combos as well as exhaust fan / light combo units.

There is special electrical boxes designed to mount a fan / light combo
unit and is a requirement in electrical codes of a lot of jurisdictions
(ask about these at your local electrical supply store).
Heavier units require additional support independent of the box itself.
Bathrooms / shower areas:

In a situation of a exhaust fan or exhaust fan / light
combo that is to be used in an above bathtub or shower area, the fixture
must be specifically approved for that purpose and must be GFI
protected. For purposes of relating to the wiring scenarios listed
bellow , the source of power cable indicated in the diagrams must be GFI
protected at or before that point.

Additional note:

Bathrooms with windows that open are not required to
be with bathroom exhaust fans as per the CABI One and Two Family
Dwelling Codes. However having mentioned that, particularly in winter
climates it still may be desirable to have an exhaust fan even if an
open able window exists in the bathroom.

WARNINGS....

Do not use a regular light dimmer on the fan, fans require
a extra jolt to get the blade moving, there are special fan controllers
that can be used to control fan speed at the switch location (replacing
the regular switch with the special fan speed controller) these are
specially made to control speed and insure the fan does get moving when
on, the danger in regular dimmers not meant to control a fan is that the
fan could get some power applied to it but not enough to get it moving
what that can do is heat it up and become a fire hazard. If using a
special fan controller ensure that the fans pull string (if they have it)
are set to max speed and let the fan controller control the speed. You
may still have another pull string on the fan that can change blade
direction.

Do not use any switched extension options to the circuit
if you are utilizing a light dimmer (for the light) or fan speed
controller. Except you may use a switched onward extension with a
light dimmer (for the light) IF the extension is going to another light
only (no fan) and that dimmer is rated to handle the total wattage of all
lights connected. Regular light dimmers are meant to be used with
incandescent lighting, and cannot be used on fluorescent or other types.

If the light and fan are configured to switch
together on the same switch than do not use any controller or dimmer at
all.